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(click on the images to get a
larger view)
People in Cambodia today are trying to
recapture their cultural traditions. Much of
their culture was destroyed during the Pol Pot
regime, when intellectuals were imprisoned and
executed. It has been said that only one woman
was left to costume Cambodian dancers. Mulberry
trees, upon which silk worms thrive, were cut
down, so the weaving industry went into extreme
decline. Craftspeople, such as stone cutters,
were forced to work on the farming collectives.
Music was gone from people's lives, and
traditional festivals were banned. Today, the
Ministry of Culture is headed by one of King
Sihanouk's daughters, Bopha Devi. Entire village
populations, sponsored by international
agencies, are weaving silk and cotton cloth.
Temple restoration projects promote traditional
stone carving businesses. Tourists can purchase
tapes of Cambodian music. Religious traditions,
grounded in Buddhism with Hindu influences, have
been resurrected, and spiritual life is active
in each village and city.
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Apsaras, or celestial dancers, are
found carved on temples, performing the
same hand gestures as dancers use
today.
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Princess Bopha Devi (on the left),
Minister of Culture, has tea with the
visiting Fulbright Study Tour
group.
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Traditional dancers spend years
training to perform ancient ritualized
dances.
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Dyed yarn hangs in weaving
village.
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Whole villages are devoted to
weaving, with looms found under every
house.
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Traditional weavers use the weft
ikat method, known as "ho" in Khmer.
Each strand is dyed in the selected
pattern before weaving begins.
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Stone carver in Siem
Reap.
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Naga, the seven headed snake, at the
National Museum in Phnom Penh. Ancient
Hindu influence on Cambodian spiritual
lives is still strong.
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Shadow puppet skin carving of
dancers. Water buffalo hide is used to
carve puppets for plays.
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Band outside Ta Prohm
Wat.
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Taping a modern music video show at
Ochatiel Beach in Sihanoukville.
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Traditional music with appreciative
children.
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Festival boatmen in the moat at
Angkor Wat.
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Festival boatmen in Phom Penh - the
Cambodian Independence Day in November
is celebrated throughout the
country.
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Statue of Buddha at Angkor Wat,
clothed in traditional orange.
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Monks at Angkor Wat - males spend at
least one month as monks during their
lifetime learning Buddhist
precepts.
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Statue of Buddha surrounded with spirit
flags.
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